Thursday, 31 July 2008

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has entered ten teams in the East and Central Africa Handball tournament planned for August 25-31 in Mwanza. The Secretary General of Tanzania Handball Association (THA), Sudi Omary, said yesterday that the hosts will field seven teams in the competition.

Other countries which have confirmed to take part are Kenya (six), Congo Brazzaville, Uganda (two each) and Zanzibar (four). Omary said the deadline to confirm participation expired yesterday and that no new applications would be entertained. He has appealed to Mwanza residents to show up in big numbers to cheer the home teams.

Wednesday, 30 July 2008

IN developing countries such as Tanzania many people travel by train. The main reason is that such travel, although slow, is inexpensive. People who travel to places such as Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika or Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria have three options.

One option is travel by air. Unfortunately such travel is too expensive for the majority of travellers. The second option is travel by bus, although it is less expensive than travel by air, it is still too expensive for the majority of travellers. The third option is travel by train favoured by the majority of travelers.

The problem with this travel, especially on the Central Railwayline, is its frequency. At present, the train to Kigoma and Mwanza via Dodoma and Tabora plies the route only three times a week.

The Millennium Challenge Account of Tanzania yesterday signed an agreement with the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) to implement projects under the energy sector at a cost of over 247bn/- ($206.5m).

The projects will be carried out over the next five years with effect from next October and that the project would guarantee reliable power supply, Millennium Challenge Corporation Energy Sector Projects Coordinator, Mr William Magambo, has said.

The agreement was signed by the MCA-T Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bernard Mchomvu and the Tanesco management headed by Managing Director, Dr Idris Rashid, at the Tanesco offices in Dar es Salaam. However, Mr Magambo said that power tariffs were now likely to go down immediately.

Earlier, Dr Rashid said that projects that would be implemented in the five years included construction of the Malagarasi hydropower plant and distribution of electricity in Kigoma region – as well as installation of a second submarine interconnection cable to Zanzibar. Other projects include transmission and distribution of electricity in several regions - Tanga, Iringa, Mwanza, Dodoma, Mbeya and Morogoro.

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

WE are saddened and angered by reports that yet another person with albinism was attacked and killed by unknown people in his home in a remote Lake Victoria village last week on witchcraft beliefs. The killing takes to 26 the number of albinos killed in the country in less than a year.

Police in Mwanza say the attackers reportedly severed the man’s right foot and genitalia, and his wife 'also an albino' was also injured as she tried to save her dear husband.

Following this spate of indiscreet killing of their colleagues in recent months in various parts of the country, there is reported fear now in the albino community. And this fear in the Albino community is justified given the nature of the killings.

Monday, 28 July 2008

A man was shot and seriously injured on Saturday during a robbery at a hardware store in Mwanza.

The 23-year-old man, who was identified only as Abdulaziz, is the son of the proprietor of Karibu Hardware Stores. He was taken to Weil Bugando Medical Centre for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said two gangsters armed with pistols first struck at the neighbouring Rahisi Hardware Stores, where they robbed a customer of Sh2 million and a mobile phone.

They then proceeded to Karibu Hardware Stores where Abdulaziz surrendered Sh20,000 that was in a drawer. The gangsters shot Abdulaziz in the stomach before escaping in a saloon car that was waiting inside.

Only three out of 20 chemist labs in the country have been maintained to required international standards while the rest need extensive rehabilitation.

The director of Finance and Planning in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing, Januarus Mrema, told journalists in Mwanza last week that two of the up to standard labs are owned by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS).

Mrema said the government, in collaboration with the Danish International Aid Agency (DANIDA) , is working out strategies to carry out major repairs to 18 labs so that they attain the required standards.

Sunday, 27 July 2008

While prices of main staples in Dar es Salaam City keep going up, the situation is slightly different in Mwanza City where the price of rice has actually gone down and that of bananas has stabilised.

A survey by this reporter in Mwanza main markets, showed that maize flour, fish and sweet potatoes are experiencing notable price hikes.

A kilo of rice which sold at 1,200/- only a few weeks ago is down to 800/-, thanks to a good harvest in some paddy growing areas of Shinyanga and Mwanza.

Banana prices have remained stable with a piece selling at between 10/- and 12/- which fruit vendor Isidory Muganyizi at Mwanza Market attributes to good harvests in Bukoba, Karagwe and Muleba districts in Kagera region.

DID you hear the latest? Dar es Salaam city collects five billion shillings per month from taxes and other sources of own funds. That is five million dollars per month and is not chicken feed. The city is rich. After all, this city has 10 per cent of the national population and uses up about 40 per cent of the national electricity. Business is booming and about 30 per cent of the national business is in this harbour of peace.

Let us add Mwanza, Mbeya, Arusha and Tanga to the equation. These local mega towns must be flush with cash too. They have substantial populations and a construction industry that has thrived beyond expectations since the demise of the father of the nation eight or so years ago. How much money have these cities collected in the last 10 years? Was that money put to the best use for the development of 'wananchi' or did some of it disappear into unauthorised pockets of 'wenye nchi'?

Saturday, 26 July 2008

Communities in Kagera region have embarked on a weeklong cleanup campaign on the shores of Lake Victoria. Local fishermen, students and other people sharing the lake's resources took part in the environmental cleanup.

It has been launched by the East African Communities for Management of Lake Victoria Resources (Ecovic) amid growing concerns over rising environmental degradation on the waters and shores of the lake.

Despite a number of awareness campaigns, fishing communities in the region have not refrained from environmentally unfriendly practices on the lake's shores. Some fishermen defecate on the waters and shores of Lake Victoria since there are no toilets along most of its catchment areas where they operate.

Thursday, 24 July 2008

More than 400 passengers escaped with no injuries Tuesday night when the train they were travelling on derailed leaving two locomotive heads completely submerged in water.

The train was bound for Dodoma, Kigoma and Mwanza when it derailed at about 7.25 pm at the Ruvu station. But passengers in the third class compartment narrowly escaped death when their coach nearly tumbled after the submerged locomotives.

A statement released yesterday by the Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) confirmed the accident but indicated that no one was injured in the incident. The statement did not give the cause of the accident but only said engineers had rushed to the scene.

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Albinos here are seeking audience with President Jakaya Kikwete to brief him of predicaments as victims of sporadic killings.

According to them, they are frustrated with the manner State organs are handling the witchcraft-associated killings in the lake zone.

Speaking during a meeting that discussed their fear, chairman of the albinos association in Mwanza Region Alfred Kapole, wondered why there has been no arrest of any of the perpetrators ever since the spate of killings began.

Scores of albinos in Mwanza, Shinyanga and Mbeya regions have been brutally murdered in cold blood by unknown people who are inspired by witchcraft beliefs. The victims had parts of their bodies chopped. On July 11 this year a seven-month albino baby identified as Kija Marachu was killed by unknown people in Shinyanga region.

The government has called for joint and relentless efforts to crack down on monsters who are involved in indiscriminate killings of albinos. A statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children expressed grave concern over an escalating wave of the killings and described the acts as ‘barbaric’ and a gross violation of human rights.

The Ministry urged the municipal councils, village authorities, religious leaders and other key players to jointly declare war on the killings, “They should strive to educate the general public on the adverse effects of unjustified beliefs that have contributed to the killings of the albinos in various parts of the country.

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

The Bank of India (Tanzania) Limited today announced plans to scale up its operations in the country by opening more branches. The firm’s Managing Director, Mr Suresh Gajjar, said the bank which opened its doors to the public last week would open branches in Mwanza and Arusha early next year.

“We are planning to reach many Tanzanians including those in rural areas,” Mr Gajjar said during the bank’s inauguration ceremony at a Dar es Salaam hotel. “Our goal is to become the leader in the country’s banking industry by introducing competitive retail and corporate products,” he said.

Monday, 21 July 2008

Religious leaders are partly to blame for the growing problem of domestic violence in the country.

An official of the Norwegian Church Aid, Mr Evance Luballa, pointed out that some religious leaders fail to expose perpetrated of domestic violence who go to them for confession.

He cited a case of a man in Magu district where church leaders there were aware on an illicit affair the person allegedly had with his daughter, but decided to remain mum.

"The leaders did not report the person to relevant Government authorities allegedly in the belief that he would repent his sins for God to forgive him," the official claimed, contending that religious leaders were failing the society.

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has once again, strongly decried all domestic violence and incidents of sexual abuse currently feared to be on the increase country-wide.

Speaking about the social vice with the local press here yesterday, the YWCA Tanzania Secretary General, Ms LoeRose Mbise said statistics show that in 2006 alone, there were 4,084 reported cases of violence on women which rose to 6,531 the following year.

"National statistics obtained from the Police Force and subsequently, reported by the media, suggest that there were 4,084 cases in 2006, a figure which shot up by more than a third in 2007", she said with a view to showing the magnitude of the problem.

Ms Mbise made the revelation following a two-day special training programme organized here by the YWCA, with financial support from the Norwegian Church. The training, held at the Anglican Church's Diocese of Victoria Nyanza Conference Hall here, drew ten church leaders from Mwanza City.

More than 3000 players aged between 16 and 22 have registered for the Global Soccer Star search of Dar es Salaam region which begins tomorrow. The Vodacom Sponsorship Manager, Emillian Rwejuna yesterday said the same assessment had already taken place in Arusha, Mwanza, Zanzibar and Mbeya.

From the five regions, 40 players will be selected and camp in Dar es Salaam for six weeks to get two players who would join the Mabella FC in Spain. Rwejuna said the Dar es Salaam assessment will be in two categories, the first one between tomorrow and Saturday and the famous super assessment on July 20 and 21.

Prof. Inyangete said that loans would be based on the income of the borrower. He said that the company serves the needs of the growing residential property market by delivering services of good quality.

“I have learnt that the home ownership market in Tanzania is under served,” he said.Prof. Inyangete said housing deficit is estimated to be 2 to 3 million units. "The shortage goes up each year," he added.

He underscored that Parastatal Pension Fund (PPF) has given T-mortgage 200 hundred houses in Mwanza for house financing.

He further noted that the company has surveyed houses in Mwanza, Dar es Salaam and Arusha.

Eleven children drowned in Ukerewe on Sunday after a canoe they were traveling alongside 19 adults capsized.

Acting Mwanza regional police commander Khamis Bhai said yesterday that the children had accompanied their parents for a church service. The adults, including parents of some of the deceased children, cheated death and managed to swim to safety.

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda yesterday expressed shock upon receiving news of the tragedy and sent the Government's condolences. He said from Dodoma that he felt a sense of remorse with the bereaved families, invoking prayer for the souls of the innocent children who perished in the accident. He conveyed the condolences to Mwanza regional commissioner Dr Alex Msekela.

Friday, 11 July 2008

The Nyamagana Stadium is not to be sold out after all, the Mwanza city director, Mr Wilson Kabwe revealed yesterday.

The announcement would be a sigh of relief for those who have waged a vigorous fight to stop the historical stadium from being demolished to pave way for a tourist hotel. Kabwe said the city authorities stopped the process of selling the land where the stadium stood after a decision made by the Ministry of Information, Sports and Culture. "This matter should now be laid to rest. Renewing the debate after such a government directive is tantamount to inviting unnecessary trouble," he said at a media briefing.

The regional leadership in Mwanza has confirmed having expressed their desire to authorities in the Central Government to have the status of both Nyamagana and Ilemela districts raised to municipal rank.

During the previous Regional Consultative Council (RCC), held here on November 23, last year, the City Council officially requested the government to consider the proposal basing on the city’s fast growth.

The Mwanza Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), Mr Yahya Mbilla, has been quoted here as acknowledging that the matter has been communicated to the Prime Minister's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), through a notification letter, with reference number 70/1/1/6 of January 6, this year.

Some residents in Mwanza City have inadvertently exhumed the bodies at Kitangiri cemetery here, in the course of burying their own dead. Such ‘horrifying scenes’ are now becoming common at the cemetery, which is located on the fringes of the city, a clear signal that the burial site is completely full.

Responding to an enquiry from the 'Daily News', which sought the City Council's lasting solution to the problem, a health officer in-charge, Mr Danford Kamenya, acknowledged the prevalence of the problem.

"Despite the cemetery’s closure three years ago, it is true that some residents in Kitangiri area, Kirumba, Kilimahewa, Kiloleli, Nyamanoro and Mkudi keep burying their dead there, sometimes haphazardly, out of ignorance on the ban", he said.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TRL Managing Director, Mr Narasimhaswami Jayaram, confirmed that plans had been on the drawing board since the company took over from the former Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC).

He said the express services -- with ‘sleeping’ third class coaches – would arrive in the country from India by mid next month, adding that the Surface and Marines Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA) officials are already in India inspecting the coaches.

“We are glad to announce that in a bid to improve services to our customers, TRL will import 23 third-class sleeping coaches, while other coaches and beds will be purchased in the very near future,” said Mr Jayaram.

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Dr. Roger A. Newell M.Sc., Ph.D., the newly appointed President and CEO of Lake Victoria Mining Company, Inc. (OTCBB: LVCA) is pleased to announce the company is acquiring an 80% interest in the Kalemela Gold Project in northern Tanzania.

While currently in Mwanza, Tanzania, Dr. Newell said "This is an important opportunity for the company to gain a foothold in a prominent, productive and highly prospective gold belt. The potential for a substantial discovery here is significant since the Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt contains properties with very large gold reserves. This is a mega district and new mines continue to be discovered and are relatively quickly moved into production."

Some human rights activists in Mwanza have, amid growing stigma, appealed to the public to support the 13-year old girl who early this year was raped by a dog.

The schoolgirl was in March forced to be intimate with a dog at a camp belonging to Barrick Exploration Africa Limited in Sengerema District, Mwanza.

Three employees of the mining company, who allegedly masterminded the rape of the Standard Four pupil by a dog that also belongs to one of the Barrick company expatriates, have since been arrested and brought before the courts.

But as the trial continues, stigma against the little girl at the Sota Village in which the camp is situated has started to rear its ugly head.

Sunday, 6 July 2008

Police are looking for Muleba resident Ismail Juma for allegedly obtaining 120m/- by false pretence from a Bukoba businessman.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the police, already one Herry Labani believed to work hand-in-glove with Ismail Juma has been netted and is being interrogated by the police.

The statement said that the suspects went to the businessman masquerading as officials from the State House, promising him to facilitate re-owning his houses in Mwanza and Bukoba privatised in the year 1971.

Suspect Ismail Juma is said to be going around with a woman known as Betty Rweyendela believed to be a Rwandan residing at Nyamukazi in Bukoba, the statement said, asking people to offer information leading to their arrest.

In all the places the trustees of the Albinism Foundation of East Africa have visited in the past 10 months, the absence of elderly people with the condition is striking. We have met many young children, many teenagers, and many people in their 30s or 40s, but only a few in their 50s, and only one in his 60s.

Media reports indicate that in the last year, at least 23 people with albinism have been killed in Tanzania. Shaymaa Kwegyir, a Tanzanian MP who was in Kenya at the invitation of the Albinism Foundation said there have been many more killings of people with albinism, particularly in the districts of Mwanza, Shinyanga and Mbeya, but they have not been reported.

Saturday, 5 July 2008

The judiciary will automate some of its operations to expedited court proceedings and deliver justice with minimal hindrances by using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Chief Justice Augustino Ramadhani said yesterday.

The judiciary was already collaborating with development partners to automate court proceedings, he said shortly before launching the country's second sub-registry for the Commercial Court Division of the High Court of Tanzania in Mwanza.

Thursday, 3 July 2008

The Opposition yesterday accused the national carrier, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), of entering into a suspect agreement and leasing defective aircraft. The Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Zuberi Zitto Kabwe, who is also the Kigoma North MP, demanded a government explanation on the condition of the airline's newly-leased planes in the National Assembly.

The Chadema MP, raising the issue in his capacity as the Shadow Infrastructure minister, said the opposition had received reports indicating that last year, the airline leased two Boeing 737-200, both of which were defective.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has allayed fears by people of contracting cancer from radiation emitted by mobile phone towers located in residential areas.

The authority's director of operations in the zone, Mr Victor Nkya, said scientific research has indicated that such towers emit very low levels of radiation to cause harm to human beings.

Mr Nkya, however, admitted that the level of radiation emitted by broadcasting towers was harmful and could cause skin cancer, among others, and that the law requires such towers to be located a distance from residential areas.